Inventor, John P. Goodenough, is credited as one of the creators of the lithium-ion battery, the most widely used battery in the world. Its use has helped transform the world as we know it and redefine portable electronics.

“Cost, safety, energy density, rates of charge and discharge and cycle life are critical for battery-driven cars to be more widely adopted," says Goodenough. "We believe our discovery solves many of the problems that are inherent in today’s batteries."

He may be right. His new battery charges in minutes, instead of hours, which means that you can actually charge your car battery in the time it would take to fill up a gas tank. Additionally, the number of cycles the battery can handle (1,200) means that the life-span of these new batteries will actually let you drive for a reasonable amount of time before requiring a recharge.

Because the new battery is solid state, meaning the electrolyte is a solid and not a liquid, as it is in old lithium-ion batteries, it lasts longer. The solid, glass-based electrolyte does not form the dendrites that have caused so many issues with older batteries short circuiting and smoldering.

Goodenough points out that this battery has many more applications than just cars. He sees it impacting and altering the entire industry, including storage for solar and wind power.